Love as Dictated by the Score
by Charlett
Summary: Oliver Tatlin was not like others in Daath. He never read the Score. It just didn't seem worth it. That is, until the Score told him about the woman from Grand Chokmah. She was everything he could dream of. Her name was Pamela Green.
1. Prologue

I...'m not exactly sure why I started writing... but Oliver and Pamela were such cute characters... and everyone's made fics about great NPCs already. These two haven't got a fic together... So I've brought it upon myself to start it! Hope you like it, this is just my prologue... you know, testing it out... if you guys... like it... I... may continue it...

Anyway, enough emowangsting!

READ ON!

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Love as Dictated by the Score  
Prologue

"Oliver!" Oliver Tatlin turned around as Jenny Louis flagged him down. He smiled at his friend and she gasped for air, "Oliver, you could have waited for me!"

The young farmer shook his head good-naturedly, "Jenny, what are you doing?"

"I'm heading over to the cathedral for mass!" Jenny said, placing her hands on her hips, "I'm going to ask the Fon Master to read my score." She blinked at Oliver, peering at him as if there was a nasty bug paced upon his nose, "Speaking of the cathedral… aren't you going the wrong way? It's over that wa…"

"I know," Oliver said matter-of-factly, smiling at his friend, "I'm not having my score read. I don't need it…"

Jenny covered the ears of a random passing girl, "Oliver! Do you know what you're saying?" She cried, "No wonder you missed mass last week… and the week before that… But still! Do you even know what you're saying?"

"I do," Oliver replied, tucking his Tartarus model kit under his arm, "I just don't want my score read. I'll live my life normally anyway, so what's the point?"

The Daathian farmer groaned as his friend grabbed his other arm, dragging off happily towards the cathedral, "Then it wouldn't hurt for you to get your score read! Come on, just this once, for me?"

Oliver sighed, and let her lead him off, "Fine…" He said with a smirk, letting her have her way this once, "Just for today."

Jenny giggled, "You're the best, Oliver!" She said with a blush, "Just you wait; I bet your score'll be the best among the group today!" The woman's friend doubted it…

---

Oliver wanted so much to stand in the back of the chapel, but Jenny would have none of it. She dragged him up towards the front with her other friends, all other girls, and gave a quick introduction. The girls waved at the farmer, and whispered amongst themselves. They couldn't believe that this was the young man who inherited the Tatlin fortune from his recently deceased father Eustace Tatlin. To think he was just living out his life as a quiet hermit, tinkering with models and substance farming on the outskirts of Daath as if he were some peasant man!

The Fon Master settled everyone down as a young pilgrim entered the chapel. She was on her first pilgrimage alone to Daath from the Malkuth capital of Grand Chokmah, tucking her hair behind her ear as she snuck into the back. She was a pious woman, and listened intently to her score every mass. Pamela Green looked up and listened intently as Fon Master Evenos spread his arms and began his sermon.

---

"How strange…" Evenos whispered, adjusting his glasses. Oliver blinked intently at the Fon Master as he read off the young man's score. Evenos smiled, "You will find happiness today," he murmured, a smile playing on his lips, "Someone important will see your kindness, and your life will be changed forever…"

Oliver's brow furrowed in confusion. Was the Fon Master in cahoots with Jenny? Perhaps he was just saying this to make him feel happy? But that can't be right… the Score was always right. It was blasphemous to speak of the score informally… Evenos would never tell him a joke. He turned around, slightly stunned, and Jenny smiled at him, "Huh? Huh? What did I tell you?" she asked in a hushed whisper, grinning wildly, "I TOLD you it'd be the best!"

"Come now…" Oliver said with a smile, "I'm sure the 'someone important' will be a large business owner, intent on asking me to give them my money to speed their riches. I don't want my money used like that…"

Jenny giggled as the two left the chapel, "You never know…" she said in a singsong voice. Oliver laughed aloud.

As the two friends left, Pamela walked forward. Evenos blinked at her through his glasses, and then looked up at the retreating figure of Oliver. The Malkuthian rose up her hand over her mouth with worry, asking in a hushed voice, "Is… everything alright, Fon Master?"

Evenos snapped out of his stupor and smiled back at Lorelei's pious daughter as she smiled at him; even now her hair was covered as a sign of humility before the men in the room. Raising his hands, he spoke in a voice that commanded authority, "You will find happiness today." The Fon Master's smile widened as Pamela's face brightened, "You will find a man… at the grocery store… He is very important, and you will see why when you meet with him…" The young woman stood, placing her hands over her mouth, her eyes misting with tears.

"Thank you! Thank you, Fon Master!" She proclaimed, practically skipping from the chapel. Pamela, ever the romantic, realized exactly what her score meant.

On this day, she was going to meet her future husband…

---

"Oh, Oliver!" Jenny asked, smiling at her friend as they stopped in front of the grocery, "Before you head home…" She tugged on his sleeve, "Could you please come with me to the grocery? I need to pick up some apples for Mother. She loves them so much…"

Oliver beamed at his friend, still holding his model kit under his arm, "Of course, Jenny, and you remember, if you need anything…"

"No no, Oliver," Jenny said as they entered the grocery, "I could never take any money from you… no matter how much Gald Mother or I need…" She giggled, "My farming is bringing in enough money, thank you very much."

"Indeed, keep up the good work, Jenny," Oliver agreed, staring at the Gummy Candies shaped like gels for the children as the two separated, Oliver slowly being drawn to the sweets as his friend walked briskly to the fruit baskets.

Oliver picked up a few candy canes; the Festival of Lorelei was approaching and they were seasonal sweets. He missed them so much and would stock up to make sure he could eat them all over the year. He approached the counter to pay for his canes, but was quickly interrupted as a young boy, a pilgrim, by his dress, bumped into him. Oliver was about to smile brightly at the boy, but was cut off by the grocer, waving his hand about, "Stop that boy!" He shouted, "Stop that thief!"

Oliver gasped at the boy, and before the child could escape, he reached out and grabbed the boy's shoulder, snuggly keeping the boy in place, "Where do you think you're going?" He asked kindly, "You know you shouldn't steal…"

"Let me go!" The child shouted, kicking the Daathian in the shin. Oliver gave a shout and practically dropped his kit. He was so glad he saved it. However, he released the boy to nurse his shin. Before the kid could run, the grocer caught up to him and picked him up.

"You little wretch!" The man shouted, "You can't just steal our stuff! You know the penalty for stealing! I'll summon the Oracle Knights!"

Oliver blinked as the boy flailed angrily, "Let me go! Let me go!" The boy was creating quite a stir, and Jenny looked up at the child, kicking and screaming the same thing over and over, "Let me go let me go let me go! Mommie!"

---

Pamela smiled at a little Daath girl as she walked towards the inn. Before she arrived at the small Chesedonian Inn, however, she passed by a small building. Above the doorway was a sign with the word "Grocery". Her eyes brightened, and she rushed towards the building, opening the door. She was immediately greeted by a child screaming his lungs out. Most of the Daathians had to grab their ears, but Pamela was used to such noise. It was always this loud in Grand Chokmah, "Let me go let me go! Mommie!"

Pamela turned down one aisle where a crowd was forming, and she began staring at the scene as well, even as Oliver's eyes widened from hearing the boy's most recent word, "Your mother?"

The boy sniffled, finally giving up and pulling out a slab of Rappig Meat, "M… mommie's hungry…" he cried, "She got hurt by a monster and she spent the last of our Gald on some gels… but now she's so hungry so I thought… I thought…"

The grocer was about to shout at the child, but Oliver suddenly spoke up, "Sir… may I speak to this child…?" All eyes were on the farmer, and he smiled at the little thief, "If it's alright with you…"

"I need what he stole from me!" The grocer said. The other Daathians couldn't believe that this man could be so mean, but Oliver understood: This man was not from Daath. He was a Chesedonian merchant, after all. This was just how Chesedonia was…

"Sir, please…" The young man said, adjusting the weight of his model kit and candy canes. He really didn't want to argue right now… Pamela stared intently at the man as he tried to speak with the grocer. Was that the dashing prince who would sweep her off her feet? She didn't realize that her cheeks were tinged with red as the scene continued.

"I have a business to keep!" The Chesedonian merchant shouted in response.

"Fine then," Oliver replied quickly. All thoughts of the score had floated from his mind after seeing the boy in such dire straits. He dragged out his wallet, filled entirely with at last ten thousand Gald, "Just… just take it. Let the boy buy the entire store, if he can. All of this is for the boy to use to buy whatever he needs for both he and his mother." The merchant gasped as the wallet was thrust into his hands, and the entire crowd murmured excitedly at the man's kindness. The spirit of Daath was moving both pilgrims and natives alike. The boy sniffled and Oliver knelt down, plucking one of the candy canes from his stash and handing it to the boy with a smile, "Take care of your mother, alright?"

The boy wiped phlegm and tears from his face, and wrapped his arms around the farmer (who winced from said phlegm and tears), "Thank you! Thank you so much!"

Oliver gently pried the boy from his hug and rubbed the child's hair, "You're welcome, young man…" And Pamela knew immediately. This person was the one the Score had spoken about…

The crowd began to thin, and the boy took the Chesedonian merchant's sleeve, leading him off to buy whatever he could for his dear mother, and Oliver smiled happily at the boy's exuberant joy. It was worth every Gald to see that child's glee filled grin…

"That was… quite a display…" The farmer heard a woman speak, and turned to face the person. He expected Jenny to be looking back at him, and practically jumped when he found that it was someone entirely different. She stared into his eyes, her own eyes bright and wide, her cheeks flushed brightly with red, "You… saved that young boy!"

"Y…yeah…" Oliver replied, finding that their close proximity set his face aflame. He looked away in an attempt to cool his face down. It didn't work, "But… you know, I was only doing it for the boy…" He looked back at the woman, shyly asking a question, "You… what's your name, anyway…?" He didn't even notice that Jenny was right behind this woman, waving to grab his attention.

Pamela's heart beat at an accelerated rate. The score was right! This was the one! He was so cute… "My… name is P… Pamela… Pamela Green… and you…?"

Jenny blinked as Oliver gently reached out with his free hand, candy canes and model kit tucked under the other arm, and squeezed her hand slightly, "My name's Oliver Tatlin…"

"Oliver…?" Pamela whispered, squeezing it back, a silent affirmation of their meeting, and their newfound friendship, "That sounds like…"

"Pamela…?" Oliver led the woman away, oblivious to his friend, who was staring, slack jawed, at Pamela as the two left the grocery hand in hand, "That sounds like…"

"Someone I could get to know," And with that, the two leaned their heads against each other and strolled down Daath's streets, blissfully unaware of anything else the world could ever throw at them. After all, with the score bringing them together so nicely, what could ever go wrong if they just continued to listen intently to it…?

They both decided on the answer. Nothing at all...

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And... that's it... so far, that is. I liked writing it. I hope you guys enjoyed reading it. Perhaps... a review would be nice for me? To tell me how you thought it was...? I would appreciate it a lot. Thanks.


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter... 1... I guess. I don't think I'm going to name them. They're just... chapters... but if anything, I guess I'd call this "The first Date" or summin cute like that.

Anyway, without further ado:

READ ON!

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"Oliver…" Pamela asked, giggling out loud and using the Daathic man's name as if she had known him forever. She let him lead her off towards the outskirts of town, "Oliver, where are you taking me? If we get too far out…"

"Shhhh, shhhh," Oliver replied patiently, laughing aloud, "Didn't you know?" He gestured to the grain fields they were running through, "This is my land!"

"Oliver, I know you're a farmer…" Pamela said with a blush, letting out a harmless joke without thinking much further, "But are you that desperate to show me to your parents? Is that all you farmers do is show off significant others to each other?" Oliver stopped running, his laughter all but gone. Pamela's heart sunk when she realized she had struck a nerve and reached out to him in an attempt to ask forgiveness, "O… Oliver… did I upset you? I'm so sorry! I was just…"

"No… it's… okay…" Oliver replied, slowing to a complete stop and looking down at the wheat that surrounded them, "I just… I don't have any parents to bring you home to…" Pamela gasped when she realized how heartbreaking her joke must have been, and he continued with a laugh that sounded more like a scoff, "I never knew my mom. She died giving birth to me… Father did his best to raise me, but he was so busy with all of his money, his mountains of Gald, that he hardly had time for me… I was just as alone when he died as before…"

"Oliver, I'm sorry…" Pamela whispered, and this time, when she reached out to take his hand again, he didn't shy away, "I didn't mean to make you so sad…"

"I'm sorry I reacted that way…" He replied, slowly walking her towards his house yet again, "I just… I figured you'd have to go out to eat for dinner tonight. Daath's inn doesn't offer much in the ways of refreshments… I thought maybe you'd like some of my dinner."

"Oliver… You'd cook for me?" Pamela asked, a leer rising from her lips, "Isn't that the woman's job?"

"I've lived by myself for so long," Oliver explained, "That it just comes naturally… it's not as good as… Jenny's, I guess, but it's… decent. Ahh! Here we are!" He was thankful to be able to change the subject as he came upon a small cottage surrounded by the wheat fields, "This is my home! It's a little small… but it's very homely."

"It looks…" Pamela struggled for words that fully expressed her feelings. She saw herself standing outside on the porch, watching her new husband till the fields. She saw herself holding a baby in swaddling cloths as she watched him thatch their roof. She saw the two of them staring at the stars upon the porch, holding each other close, letting each others' warmth keep themselves warm as they slept under the stars. Oliver noticed that she was staring at the house, her cheeks flaring red.

"Pamela…?" The Malkuthian blinked at the man, and she suddenly realized that she must have been a little out of it. Chuckling, she smiled at the man, finishing her sentence, "It looks beautiful…" Oliver smiled as he opened his door and led her into the house, his hand clasped tightly around hers. Pamela's face flushed as he brought her close to him and reached out to turn on the lamp. The woman blinked at what she saw.

The largest room in the house was spread out before her, and by all accounts it was pretty small. In the corner was a tiny kitchenette, with the bare essentials, a stove top range and icebox, and a fireplace which was the next best thing without an oven. Sitting in the middle of the room was a small dining table with only three chairs, which was expected, seeing as he had no family to speak of at the moment. Three doors were spread about, showing that the house probably only had enough room for the 4 rooms that existed.

"So this is it," She whispered, almost breathlessly, as she stared at the clutter. She had heard that bachelors lived in less than cleanly quarters… but this was just a little ridiculous! She looked at her host as he pulled out some chicken from the icebox and began to prepare a fire for it in the fireplace. She looked at the model kit and candy canes, which had been abandoned on the end table next to the front door. Without really thinking, she picked up the kit and found a mess of paper under it; newspaper, apparently. She picked up the weeks old paper and placed the kit back down. Oliver looked up as she went to the dining table and started picking up the trash.

"What… are you doing?" He asked as Pamela filled both her arms up in useless papers and receipts, "You don't…"

"Your place is so cluttered," The woman replied, looking down at the trash in her hands, "I… just wanted to fix it up a bit…"

"But you're the guest!" Oliver said, sounding like Pamela was stomping on his pride as a host, "You shouldn't… have to do any work…" He looked down at the fire that had just started, "I'm sorry I didn't clean up, I guess it's my fault you…"

"Hey Oliver," Pamela said, brushing by the man (who blushed at her contact), "This is how you get rid of all your trash!" And with that, she tossed the papers into the fireplace. The two stood next to each other as they saw the fire lick up the paper, turning all of it to ash in a matter of minutes.

"Wow…" He murmured, his eyes brightening, "Why didn't I think of that?" The two looked at each other, and they both smirked, rushing off to different parts of the house to grab whatever trash they could find.

The two soon found themselves watching the chicken cook as the fire ate the last remnants of Oliver's trash. He had to admit, the place looked a whole lot better after it was straightened up. As he finally finished turning the chicken on the spit, he looked up and pointed at the one cupboard he possessed, "That's where my dishes are. Could you?"

"Got it," Pamela replied. She pulled them down from the cupboard as Oliver deposited the chicken onto a serving platter. As she set the table, he began to carve the bird. The two seemed to calm down, their nervousness disappeared, and they continued to prepare dinner as if they were… family…

Pamela followed Oliver to the table; he was holding the bird, and in each hand, she was holding two plates with corn cobs on one, candied apples (for dessert!) in the other. The two placed their items on the table and settled down. Oliver sat in one chair, and his guest walked across the table, settling down on the opposite side. Now she could look into his eyes the whole time they ate…

Oliver seemed much more intent on his food than Pamela, who would look up to see his eyes staring intently at his corn. She wished she could psychoanalyze him. Perhaps he didn't like to be disturbed while eating? _Or perhaps…_ She thought to herself, a blush tinting her cheeks, _He's just too embarrassed to look at me…_ She took a deep breath and decided to figure out which one it was, "Uh… Oliver?"

"Huh?" He asked, looking up. Seeing her smiling face, however, made him turn away and chuckle, "Wh… what is it?"

Pamela rejoiced silently. He WAS shy! That was so adorable… "I was just… wondering… about your kit… Do you like model kits?"

Oliver's eyes brightened, "Yes!" He proclaimed, "They're my favorite hobby. Putting them all together makes me feel so happy to be able to create something with my own hands!" Pamela tried hard not to laugh at his exuberance as he explained just how it felt to put all the pieces together to make something much larger, "It really makes you feel like you've accomplished something, huh?"

"Ahhh, yes…" Pamela replied, suddenly feeling a little out of place in this man's world. He was so… immersed in his… model kits, she wondered if she could squeeze a little bit of room out for her… She smiled happily, hoping to carve that niche out right now, "Well… do you also… like to do other things?"

Oliver looked up at her, wondering where this was going. He reached for his candied apple and spoke before biting into it, "Well, I like to take walks." Pamela blinked. People of Grand Chokmah hardly took walks for pleasure. Simply walking a child down to play in the park was a chore, "And when it's washing day… That's my favorite day. It's the day of the week I get to wring all my clothes out, it's real fun!"

"Wash… clothes…?" Pamela asked. What about liking to do NORMAL things like… shopping or something?

The Daathic farmer nodded as he chewed on his candied apple. After swallowing, he looked at the woman, "And you?"

"Me…?" She asked, trying not to sweat from embarrassment. What should she say? Would she tell him what she really liked…? What if he didn't like it? If the two of them stopped seeing each other after this… she… she didn't think she'd be able to continue. The Score said… the Score said that she'd find happiness, and she knew it was going to be true, she just knew! "I like walking… so much… also… uh… models are so fun…"

"Really?" Oliver asked, his eyes shining. Pamela nodded meekly, "This is amazing! I thought I was the only person who liked that kind of stuff… I felt… you know, kind of alone in the world…" Pamela felt a sinking feeling in her stomach. It appeared that he still WAS alone in the world… He quickly finished his apple, looking high on life.

When Pamela finished her apple, she joined Oliver at the bucket where he was washing his dishes. She handed them to him, and he smiled, tenderly taking her hands. She blushed as he brought the dishes into the bucket so the two could wash the dishes together. A smile appeared on Pamela's face as the two worked close together, his blush rising just as hers did. Lying through her teeth so she could be at this proximity to his face was SO worth it. The two worked together to clean the dishes, as if they did this stuff their whole lives…

---

Pamela really didn't want to go back to the inn. A small hunger in the pit of her stomach desired that he drag her into his bedroom and ravish her. Alas, apparently all Daathic people were "proper" and didn't do that kind of stuff until they were married. Uhg… such an unnecessary extra step… Finally Oliver led her back to the inn, and stopped her by the doorway, "Well… I guess…"

"We'll see each other tomorrow, right?" She asked, reaching out to take his hand and squeeze it. She wanted to make sure he agreed before she let him go.

"Alright, tomorrow… here?"

"Here…" She replied, and allowed herself to let go of his hand. Oliver seemed to be hesitant though. He probably didn't want to leave as much as she. There was silence for a while as the crickets chirped in the night air.

"So… uh…" The man interrupted himself when she closed her eyes, leaned closer, and projected her lips. He gulped shyly, and reached out to take her arms, leaning in to kiss her. He didn't realize that it was so… perfect… feeling her lips against his. He let a small gasp out when he felt her arms wrap around his back, beckoning him as if to say, "Come on, hold me tighter, you doofus!"

That's exactly what he did.

TO BE CONTINUED…

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Hope you guys enjoyed it! Send a review this way and tell me what you liked/hated about it, please.


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